Thursday, December 22, 2011

Alhussain: A Modern Example

I have been asked many times "Why did Imam Hussain (AS) continue with his uprising against the 'Legal' ruler of the time, Yazid? What was the benefit that he was seeking to gain from his historical march? And, most importantly, why did he take his family members with a fleet of some seventy soldiers, risking the fall of the prophets household against a morally corrupt leader?"
Strangely, there are those that attempt to justify the actions of Yazid and his position by labeling Hussain (AS) an outlaw and a defiler of the loyalty towards the "Islamic Leadership". They have completely ignored the immorality of Yazid and his lifestyle and have claimed his eligibility as a Leader and a "Prince of the Faithful" relying on the famous quote "Loyalty towards the leader is mandatory until his orders defy the law of God".

To understand Hussain’s decision, you need not to look further than the Arab Spring of the past year, a movement that caused the fall of four Arab leaders and many other demonstrations throughout the Arab world. This is the same movement that was sparked by Muhammed Bouazizi, a vegetable dealer that literally lit the flame by setting himself on fire on the 17th of December, 2010. To this I ask, what motivated the initial thousands to rise against their established corrupt leaders? Why did the same thousands risk their stable lives to defy their tyrants? Just like Imam Hussain, People realized that life without dignity and self-respect is not worth living. Just like Imam Hussain, these people realized the importance of living under a system that understands and respects their rights as human beings.

To justify the position of Yazid in killing Hussain (AS) and his followers, one needs to justify the violent crackdowns practiced by the Arab governments against their own people. Likewise, to justify the uprising of Hussain, you need to understand the reasons and the motivating factors of the Arab spring. With this in mind, I still find it shameful to justify the killing of the grandson of the prophet by labeling him an outlaw against the Islamic nation therefore deserves the death penalty to set an example for all who dares defy the law of man. But I guess such a person needs to justify his support and his religious leadership’s support for a corrupt political system or (in many of these cases) governor.